Colgate: Saving water through sponsorship

In November, it was announced that Mina Guli’s #RunningDry journey – 100 Marathons in 100 Days – would be sponsored by Colgate Palmolive (India). #RunningDry is a global initiative by water advocate and global athlete Mina Guli. Through the sponsorship, Colgate reiterated its commitment to its global Save Water campaign and to encourage people to conserve water by turning off taps as #EveryDropCounts.

In a study conducted jointly by Colgate and YouGov after Earth Day 2018, it was found that the Save Water campaign could lead to a potential reduction of 50 billion gallons of water globally per year.

However, CB’s questions on this study and other initiatives under the Save Water campaign went unanswered.

Launched at the New York Marathon on 4 November 2018, the #RunningDry campaign reached New Delhi (6th country on the route) on November 23. The India run passed through Gurgaon, Bawal, Achrol, Jaipur, Kishangarh, Raila, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Dahod, Vadodara, Bharuch, Ankleswar, Surat, Navsari, Balsad and Thane, and reached Mumbai on December 6.

As part of this campaign, Mina has completed her run in England, France, Italy, Uzbekistan and the Aral Sea. After the India leg, she will continue her run in Hong Kong, China, Dubai, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Mexico, before completing the expedition by running across the United States to finish her 100th marathon in New York on 11 February 2019.

In a press release shared with CB, Mina Guli said, ‘Globally, four billion people face water scarcity for at least one month in the year. #RunningDry is a call to the world to unite to save water. The water we need to live, to survive, is running out. We’re calling this #RunningDry because we need to bring home the severity of the crisis we are facing. It is for this reason that I have chosen to do the unthinkable: running 100 marathons in 100 days around the world to show what a 100% commitment to water looks like. We can all help solve the world’s water crisis. Each one of us is able to make a difference.’